Internet TV service YouView launches in UK

YouView, an internet TV service which combines UK Freeview channels and on-demand content, has been launched.

Lord Alan Sugar at the launch of new digital TV service YouView (Picture: PA)

The £299 set-top box, dubbed ‘the next generation of Freeview’, will be available to buy from all major retailers later this month.

Backed by entrepreneur Lord Alan Sugar , the service was initially due to be launched in 2010 but was hampered by a series of technical issues.

Lord Sugar, who came in to oversee the struggling venture last year, hailed the arrival of YouView as ‘a great moment in British television’ at its unveiling on Wednesday at the London Film Museum.

Lord Sugar has hailed the launch as ‘a great moment in British television’

He added: ‘It’s with great pleasure that we announce that YouView will be available from major retailers later this month.

‘Our intention with this simple–to-use box is to provide extraordinary TV for everyone, with on-demand services combined with TV channels with an opportunity to search back an entire week to catch what they’ve missed. It’s a whole new way of experiencing TV.’

Users will be able to pause and rewind live TV across over 100 digital channels and will also have anytime access to terrestrial TV programmes for up to seven days.

The set-top box can either be purchased from retailers or as part of a broadband package with internet service providers.

A further 300 content providers have expressed an interest in joining the service, including Sky and Amazon.

Richard Halton, YouView chief executive said: ‘In many ways we’ve only just begun, YouView is set to evolve quickly and we look forward to working with new content partners and developing more functionality as boxes roll out into UK homes.’

YouView internet TV will be available later this month from £299

Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at uSwitch.com, believes the service offers ‘a genuine alternative’ to pay monthly packages, but believes its price and limited content is a concern.

‘The challenge will be to convince people to pay at least £300 up-front for a digital service in a relatively embryonic state,’ he said.

‘Many will be relying on a promise that there will be a wealth of features and functions to come from YouView further down the line.

‘Although it clearly intends to be a strong proposition for late digital TV adopters, it remains to be seen whether YouView will prove compelling enough to carve out a space for itself at this stage in a highly competitive space, especially with a steep retail price and relative paucity of content at launch.’